PESHAWAR, April 30: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Engineer Shaukatullah has increased the Lungi and Mawajab allowances of elders and tribes in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

President Asif Ali Zardari had made the announcement to increase the allowances during a tribal jirga in Islamabad about two weeks ago and the governor being agent to the President formally approved the case to double the amount of Lungi and Mawajab allowance, according to a handout issued here on Tuesday. The amount for the elders and tribes was doubled only 10 days ahead of the general elections.

The imperial British had introduced Lungi, Mawajab and Maliki (allowances) to maintain friendly relations with the political administration and the state. Successive governments have appointed Maliks in tribal area. During the past few years over 6,000 new Maliks and Lungi holders were inducted in different tribal agencies.

Lungi is a personal allowance for individual service and it can be modified on the death of a Lungi holder, while Mawajab allowances are those which are paid out to the entire tribe biannually. The handout said that an additional amount of Rs50.54 million would be required in the changed situation with which the total amount had reached Rs101 million. Under the formula, Khyber Agency would get a total of Rs10.9 million for this purpose, followed by Bajaur, Mohmand and Kurram agencies with total allocations of Rs15.9 million, Rs19.5 million and Rs12 million, respectively.

The South Waziristan Agency would get Rs5.6 million whereas Orakzai and North Waziristan agencies would receive Rs29.5 million and Rs2.78 million, respectively.

The amount of both the Lungi and Mawajab allowances have also been doubled in respect of all the Frontier Regions, which are as follows: Rs303,400 (FR Kohat), Rs66,000 (FR Peshawar), Rs854,000 (FR Bannu); Rs70,000 (FR Lakki), Rs452,000 (FR DI Khan) and Rs182,000 (FR Tank).

It said that the system of administration in Fata was based on the principle of collective and territorial responsibility of tribes, which was executed through a body of tribal elders, commonly known as “Maliks”. In recognition of their services, a nominal amount is being paid under the name of Lungi and Mawajab allowances, which were fixed during the British era and there have been only slight changes in the rates since then.